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Apple’s new MacBook Pro has an ultrathin keyboard that’s giving some users fits

Mark Coppock
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Apple MacBook 13-inch Touch Pad
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends
When Apple designed the 2016 MacBook Pro, it made the new machines thinner than ever. In fact, the company made them 17 percent thinner, creating a svelte and light frame that fits better in the hand and the backpack.

At the same time, the reduction in thickness forced some compromises, most notably in terms of smaller batteries, fewer ports with no legacy support, and the use of a second-generation version of the ultrathin keyboard first introduced with the diminutive MacBook. Apparently, the new keyboard is causing some real problems for users, and not only in terms of what it feels like when typing, as MacRumors reports.

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Judging by some recent accounts, the decision to do away with the old-school and highly regarded MacBook Pro keyboard, with its superior travel ability and arguably better overall experience, has resulted in some reliability issues as well. It appears that the new key mechanism, with its second-gen butterfly design, has some issues, including keys that don’t work, high-pitched noises, and a lack of uniformity.

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These accounts are showing up in Apple’s Support community, as well as MacRumors’ own site. The following video provides an example of how some keys cause an unintentional high-pitched clicking noise that seems to occur when the MacBook Pro is running a bit warm.

2016 Macbook Pro with Touch Bar - High Pitched Key Click Issue

According to one MacRumors user, monstermac77, “Within a few hours of using my Late 2016 MacBook Pro 15 with Touch Bar, I noticed some of my keys made a very high-pitched click on-key-up (when I lifted my finger from the pressed down key). The affected keys: Caps Lock, left Option, and very occasionally: Delete, ‘H,’ and ‘C.'”

From inconsistent spring between keys, to keys that don’t respond or that generate multiple inputs per key press, the problems appear to be widespread and varied. They also seem to be occurring more on the 15-inch MacBook Pro but have been reported on all versions.

Taking an affected machine to an Apple authorized service provider is the natural response, but MacRumors reminds everyone that replacing the keyboards in the new, thin machines can take a few days and is not as simple a process as it once was. Therefore, if you have a 2016 MacBook Pro that needs a new keyboard, make sure you can manage without it for a bit before you take it in for service.

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Mark Coppock
Mark Coppock
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